News & Events

Good morning, everyone. Tom King, thank you for that kind introduction, and my thanks as well to Admiral Bowman for extending the invitation to join you in San Francisco.

The timing of this conference couldn’t have been better, certainly from the perspective of the National Association of Manufacturers.

The soaring cost of energy caused by limited supply and growing demand ranks right at the top of issues manufacturers must deal with as they face unyielding global competition.

I speak about energy at nearly every public event I’ve attended, making the case for additional supply. As your conference title suggests, “a buzz is building,” as Americans recognize that our future depends on access to additional, reliable sources of energy.

Natural gas has been the NAM’s recent focus. Congress is considering legislation to open up the Outer Continental Shelf to oil and gas exploration, and given manufacturing’s reliance on natural gas as a fuel and feed stock, it is time for Congress to act…now.

U.S. manufacturing once benefited from the lowest natural gas prices in the world, a competitive advantage that has unfortunately disappeared. High prices of energy as fuel and feed stock have been a primary factor in the loss of 100,000 jobs in the chemical industry alone.